Let the spooky season continue to roll on! There are so many fun movies and events going on that take advantage of the season we can barely fit them in! Be sure to check out the special events section before the full previews of events as there are tons of fun experiences we wouldn't want you to miss out on!
Now, let's get on with your Chicago Curated Weekend!
- Support Local Venues
- Kingston Mines
- Fitzgerald's
- Evanston Space
- Head over to the Hideout's regular shop and get yourself some great merch! Their 2020 Holiday Sale page is also still up with links to great local artists!
- Metro shop is full of fantastic concert posters from yesteryear and cool merch
- Lincoln Hall/Schubas always has great items in their shop waiting for you!
- Same goes for Thalia Hall's merch store
- Let's not forget Empty Bottle's fantastic merch shop!
ART GALLERIES & SPECIAL EVENTS
- All Star Press is constantly putting up new prints for you to decorate your space with! RIGHT NOW they are showing Chicago Style: Hold The Ketchup featuring everyone's favorite Chicago encased meat: the Hotdog! Plus you can check out some of their prints from their Vertical Gallery collab, which you can purchase here!! There is also a virtual gallery featuring all the works! You can also see "Saturday Morning Fever” featuring the works of Griffin Goodman through their virtual gallery! And don't forget to check out the virtual edition of JC Rivera's new exhibition "Still Undefeated" ! Or the All Decked Out virtual show!
- Chicago Gamespace is the perfect spot to check out the hairy present and future of the gaming realm! Currently they are showing @!#?@!: the Art, Design and Sound of Q*bert
- Galerie F has a fun stock of prints from concert posters, pop culture prints and more!
- Rotofugi is the perfect nexus of art and toys! Head over to see what new pieces of art they have in stocks and on display in their gallery space! Right now they're showing Blessed Blade of the Badlands 2 New Works by Nick & Lindsay DiFabbio!
- WNDR Museum is an ever-evolving immersive art and technology experience designed to ignite your curiosity! See exhibits like the Light Floor, Try to Get Higher, and the Digital Gallery. Plus Keith Haring!
- Garfield Park Conservatory is open! Book a reservation to see all the beautiful gardens safely!
- Lincoln Park Conservatory is open! Book a reservation to see all the beautiful gardens safely
- “Mold-A-Rama™: Molded for the Future” @ Museum of Science and Industry
- Art on the Mart
- NOW - 10/15 Malibu Barbie Cafe
- NOW - 10/20 Nightmare on Clark Street
- NOW - 10/22 : Night of 1,000 Jack-o-‘Lanterns
- NOW - 10/29 Jack O’Lantern World (Lake Zurich)
- NOW - 10/29 Back 2 The Video Store: A 90s Speakeasy Bar
- NOW - 10/29 Halloween at Chicago Athletic Association
- SUNDAY - 10/29 Wicker Park Farmers Market Series
- SUNDAYS till 10/29 Maxwell Street Market 9am-3pm
- NOW - 10/30 CLUE: A Walking Mystery
- NOW - 10/31 Schaumburg Halloween Carnival
- NOW - 11/5 Jack's Pumpkin Pop-Up
- NOW - 11/12 Mozart Immersive: The Soul of a Genius
- NOW - 12/31 Karen's Diner - A pop-up dining establishment where you get an extra dose of sass with your order
THIS WEEKEND ONLY
- 10/20-10/21 All Hallows Eve (Naperville)
- 10/21 : Slow & Low Chicago Lowrider Festival (Near North Side)
- 10/21 Cider and Ale Festival (Lisle)
- 10/21 Nightmare on Chicago Street (Elgin)
- 10/21 Forest Park Casket Races (Forest Park)
THURSDAY - SATURDAY (and a Bit of SUNDAY), OCTOBER 19-21
Pinball Expo '23 @ Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel, 1551 N Thoreau Drive, Schaumburg, Thursday Noon - Midnight, Friday 10am-Midnight, Saturday 10am - Sunday 2:00am
WHAT: Pinball wizard's favorite weekend!
SO WHAT: It's another year of the world's largest and longest running pinball ball show! Pinball Expo '23 will be taking over the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel this weekend with a slew of tournaments, exhibits, seminars, and even the chance to purchase your very own pinball machine! There will also be plenty of cool retro games available to play as well as special guest Roger Sharpe screening his new film Pinball: The Man Who Saved the Game !
NOW WHAT: Tickets are available now!
FRIDAY - SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20 & 21 (& BEYOND)
Garden of Decay @ Navy Pier,600 E. Grand Ave., 6pm-7pm (All Ages), 6pm-Midnight (18+)
WHAT: Brand new immersive theater experience at Navy Pier for Halloween!
SO WHAT: Explore a once-famed genetic plant lab with a haunting twist at Garden of Decay at Navy Pier! The adventure will tell the tale of "a grieving botanist’s desperate quest for resurrection" through amazing art installation guided by audio narration! There will also be a Garden of reCreation with interactive art, themed vendors, botanical cocktails, and late-night entertainment.
NOW WHAT: Tickets are $49.34 for this great new Halloween experience!
FRIDAY - SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20 - 22 (& BEYOND)
Fair Trade Clothing Swap runs October 20-22, a clothing and accessory event along with expert stylists, noshes, beverages and more, as part of Chicago Fair Fashion Week, for all ages, sizes and genders, at Chicago Fair Trade Pop-Up Shop and Museum, 2352 N. Clark Street. Tickets are $10-$50.
WHAT: Get styling and shopping tips from local stylists @DoingDaria and @WindyCityThrifter, pay-what-you-can to fix current clothes with mending maestro Nandi from BlissJoyBull, and shop Mata Traders vintage with co-founder Michelle King Thomas. BYOB – bring your own bag!
SO WHAT: The Conscious Closet Club returns with a weekend-long event to build a better, fairer fashion industry. The clothing industry is responsible for almost 10% of global carbon emissions, and 93% of brands don’t pay garment workers a living wage. As a designated Fair Trade City, Chicago continues to blaze the trail with the largest number of fair trade businesses.
NOW WHAT: Cleaning out your closet? Donate your gently used items for all ages and genders, including coats, shoes, scarves, handbags, wallets, ties, belts, backpacks and jewelry at the following locations:
- CFT Pop-Up Shop and Museum, 2352 N. Clark, Chicago, Tues-Sat, 12-7, Sunday 12-6
- Mata Traders, 5112 N. Ravenswood, Chicago, Tues & Wed 11-5, Fridays 11-3
- Re:new Project, 483 N. Main, Glen Ellyn, M-F 10-4 or Sat 11-5
- Ten Thousand Villages, 915 Chicago, Evanston, M-F 11-6, Sat 10-6, Sun 12-6
- The Eco Flamingo zero-waste general store, 4750 N. Rockwell, Chicago, daily 10-7
- The Unwaste Shop, 108 W. Madison, Chicago 10-6 Tuesdays-Sundays
The Neo-Futurists' The Infinite Wrench @ The Neo-Futurist Theater, 5153 N Ashland, Friday and Saturday 10:30pm, Sunday 7:00pm, 16+
WHAT: Quick plays live and online!
SO WHAT: The Neo-Futurists are back ! Their Infinite Wrench is an ongoing, ever-changing attempt to perform 30 plays in 60 minutes for a live audience. Now it's actually a live audience that will be enjoying the performance in person! With plenty of COVID precautions in place, you'll be able to enjoy the funny, disgusting, profound, terrifying, irreverent, and downright entertaining show with friends!
NOW WHAT: Join the Neo-Futurists this weekend for $15! Head over to their website to see all they have planned now that in-person audiences are a thing again! If you're still a little anxious about going out, The Infinite Wrench Goes Viral will be continuing til February (and possibly beyond) over at their Patreon
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 21 (and Beyond)
CHIRP Record Fair & Other Delights @ Plumbers Hall, 1340 W Washington Blvd., 8:00AM – 6:00PM
WHAT: The CHIRP Record Fair is back for their 19th iteration
SO WHAT: Fall is here and the CHIRP Record Fair is ready for all your music needs! Join CHIRP at Plumbers Hall to dig through thousands of crates of vinyl records, DVDs, CDs, posters, and more. It’s a music collector’s paradise! More details will be announced soon! In the mean time you can check out their growing vendor list here. and don;'t miss all the live music and DJs!
- LIVE Bands Lineup
- 12:30pm - Baby Teeth
- 1:30pm - Madame Reaper
- 2:30pm - Jessica Risker
- 3:30pm - Glad Rags
- 4:00pm - pop-up marching performance throughout the space by Clamor & Lace
- DJ lineup (subject to change):
- 10:00am Heart of Chicago Soul Club
- 12:00pm RP Boo
- 2:00pm Ovef Ow
NOW WHAT: You can get your advanced tickets here! It’s $10 for general admission (10am) or $25 for early admission (8am). You can also purchase this years poster in advance for $12 ($3 less then what it will be at the event).
Chicago Humanities: New Talks and Video Archives @ Various Locations & Chicago Humanities Festival YouTube channel, your favorite browser or YouTube app, any time you want some inspiration, All Ages
WHAT: Interesting conversations with interesting people!
SO WHAT: Chicago Humanities Festival always brings some of the best ideas to the surface with entertaining programming that captures your imagination. Be on the lookout for updates to the current season as their website is constantly updated with new talks. Here is a taste of what's coming up!
- 10/21 Improving the American Experiment
- 10/21 Queer Eye's Bobby Berk
- 10/30 Chef Eric Ripert and Christopher Kimball
- 11/1 An Evening with Thurston Moore
- 11/4 Henry Winkler
- 11/5 David Brooks in Conversation with Jonathan Capehart
- 12/5 Montgomery and the Blacknificent 7
NOW WHAT: Head over to take a look at their past events here! You should also sign up for their email list to get updates on upcoming talks in 2023
Arts in the Dark Parade @ State Street between Lake and Van Buren, 6:00pm – 8:00pm, All Ages
WHAT: A magical evening parade!
SO WHAT: The event brings together some incredible local institutions, important programs, and aspiring artists in every field to put on a beautiful evening of floats, puppets, performances, and more!
NOW WHAT: It’s free !
SATURDAY & SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21 & 22
BOO! at the Zoo @ Brookfield Zoo, 8400 W 31st St, 10:00am – 6:00pm, All ages
WHAT: Add a little Halloween fun to your Zoo Trip!
SO WHAT: Brookfield Zoo turns into a Halloween wonderland during the spooky season with tons of photo ops, a corn maze, a Creepy Carousel, virtual reality 4D theater show Jinxed, a magician, pumpkin feedings for the animals, fun zoo chats and so much more! Head over to their event page for all the ghoulish details!
NOW WHAT: Entry to the zoo is $29.95 for adults, $24.95 for seniors, $20.95 for children 3-11, and children 2 and under are free!
THE WHOLE CURATED WEEKEND & BEYOND
The 59th Chicago International Film Festival @ Various Theaters & Streaming straight to your home, various times
WHAT: An annual film tradition is back in theaters, but it keeps a lot of the last few year’s virtual screenings intact!
SO WHAT: The 59th Chicago International Film Festival is back and ready to deliver quality film-making to Chicago! You'll get the chance to enjoy a stunning collection of feature-length films, shorts, and in-person celebrations over 12 days right here in Chicago! Check out our preview of the festival here!
NOW WHAT: You can check out their website for more details on this fantastic festival! You can also see their full schedule in their festival guide!
Weekend Shows @ Lincoln Hall & Schubas, 2424 N Lincoln Ave & 3159 N Southport Ave, various times, 18+
WHAT: A full weekend of amazing shows at Schubas and Lincoln Hall!
SO WHAT: Lincoln Hall and Schubas are some of our favorite venues in the city and they always have something great going on. Check out what's going this weekend at these great venues
- October 19 - LHST Comedy Presents: Schubas Open Mic HOSTED BY SUZ BALLOUT, Sharron Palm, and Sam Selby @ Schubas
- October 19 - This Is The Kit + Gruff Rhys @ Lincoln Hall
- October 19 - Subsonic Eye + Cusp @ Schubas
- October 20 - Vagabon + Nourished by Time@ Lincoln Hall
- October 20 - Knucks + Bizzy Crook @ Schubas
- October 21 - Gatlin + BEL @ Schubas SOLD OUT
- October 21 - An Evening With Mk.gee @ Lincoln Hall
- October 22 - Mike Viola + DUSK @ Schubas
- October 22- Loyle Carner @ Lincoln Hall
NOW WHAT: Head out to Schubas & Lincoln Hall and enjoy this great lineup of shows!
ChiTown Movies @ Pilsen Neighborhood, 2343 S. Throop St, Various Times, All Ages
WHAT: An old school experience for the modern age
SO WHAT: Take a trip back in time and head out to a drive-in movie with ChiTown Movies. Ever since the pandemic started and shut down traditional movie screening, a few pop-up drive-ins have arrived and ChiTown Movies has persevered, offering up modern movies in this retro setting. Check out their lineup below for showings this weekend and in the future!
- 10/20 Beetlejuice - 7pm
- 10/20 Hocus Pocus- 9pm
- 10/20 Nope - 11pm
- 10/21 Monsters, Inc. - 6:30pm
- 10/21 The Notebook - 8:30pm
- 10/21 Nightmare on Elm Street - 11pm
NOW WHAT: Tickets are $33 per car for these movies, so bring the family for a safe movie watching experience
Movies on the Big Screen and Home @ Music Box Theatre, 3733 N Southport Ave and at your home, any time you want to watch a movie
WHAT: A great way to support a great local theater
SO WHAT: The Music Box Theatre is ready to fill that art house need in you with some excellent movies including Cat Person, Stop Making Sense, Joan Baez I Am a Noise, Bride of Music Box of Horrors, and more! But if you want to watch some first-run movies at home, you can still watch great movies online! The theater's sister company, Music Box Films, offers a wide range of films available to stream any time via The Music Box Direct series! There are also tons of select titles available on their new platform!
NOW WHAT: Digital subscription is $4.99 a month, $49.99 a year, in person screenings vary, so sit back and enjoy!
University of Chicago Folk Festival @ Your favorite spot in your home, All Ages
WHAT:A fantastic folk festival
SO WHAT: University of Chicago Folk Festival might have come and gone but their digital presence is still around, making sure the wonderful music reaches as many people as possible! You can check out the past few years of performances on their Facebook page and their YouTube channel any time you want! This past year's performers included Balfa Toujours, Donka & Nikolay Kolev, Juan Rivera, Henry Barnes & Conner Vlietstra, Po' Ramblin' Boys, Jerron Paxton; Tim Britton, John Williams and Katie Grennan!
NOW WHAT: Head over to their Facebook page and their YouTube channel and enjoy the show! We highly encourage you to donate to help support this fantastic folk festival!
Masque of the Red Coronavirus! @ Black Button Eyes Productions, Any time on your computer or mobile device. For 18+.
WHAT: Written by Black Button Eyes Productions producing artistic director Ed Rutherford, this short satirical piece is available online free as a combined script-and-video experience.
SO WHAT: In addition to reading the play, you will see various Chicago artists act out portions of the script on video, recorded remotely. The event includes puppets, burlesque, original music, fire dancing and more in a brief, darkly comedic confection.
With the Red Coronavirus running rampant across the countryside and a vaccine still months away, what's a Prince to do? Lock himself in a secure bunker in an undisclosed location along with a cohort of his top donors, of course. To prevent him and his rich supporters from becoming bored, the Prince has also brought a few artists into the bunker to entertain the crowd. But as the hour grows later and the night grows weirder, it's clear that something else has also invaded the party.
NOW WHAT: Settle do